Hazards education and academic standards in the Southeast United States

Abstract

A continued increase in US disaster losses suggests that there is still much to be learned about hazards. Hazards education, therefore, remains an important facet of preparedness. This paper investigates the science and social studies academic standards for 10 Southeast states to reveal the extent to which hazard topics are covered in grades K-12. The findings suggest that hazards are treated unevenly from one state to another, that geophysical events are overrepresented in the curriculum, and that little integration between science and social studies exists on the topic. One suggested remedy is to re-incorporate geography strongly within the state standards as an attempt to make both the physical and social aspects of hazards known to the student. © 2009 Taylor & Francis .